1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fishing equipment and more particularly pertains to fishing lure containers which may be adapted for storing fishing lures with a leader line attached to prevent tangling with other lures, kinking of the leader line, or injury from exposed fishhooks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of fishing lure containers is known in the prior art. More specifically, fishing lure containers heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of housing small items of fishing tackle are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
The present invention is directed to improving devices for storing fishing lures with a leader line attached to prevent tangling with other lures, kinking of the leader line, or injury from exposed fishhooks in a manner which is safe, secure, economical and aesthetically pleasing.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,502 to McFarland, et al. discloses a segmented tubular fishing gear container carried on the person and comprising tubular segments joined in end-to-end fashion by fittings on each segment. Stacked cylindrical receptacles may be stowed in the tubular segments as may spools of leader with the leaders being threaded through openings in a tubular segment sidewall.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,173 to Abbotnoy describes a fishing lure container having a transparent case with an upper and a lower compartment. In each compartment is a single or double circle of transparent tubes. Each tube has an upper open end that forms the exit port for a lure. Planar caps are located on each end of the transparent container. Each cap has apertures which can be aligned with each tube for removing or inserting lures into the apertures.
The prior art also discloses a portable lure container as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,669 to Zimbardi et al. which comprises adjustable shelves that can be configured to any size lure chamber. The units of the lure container have a glass or other transparent cover so that the appropriate lure can be predetermined before removing from the container. An important feature of this invention is the dual purpose adjustable handle which can be used both as a handle to carry the container and as an attachment which connects the lure container to the side of a boat. This dual purpose adjustable handle is made up of two complementary pieces or parts which when fitted together constitute either the handle or the boat attachment means.
Additional patents of interest are U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,645 to Borawski which discloses a fishing lure holder and U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,197 to Gentry et al. which discloses a fishing bait organizer.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a fishing lure container for storing fishing lures with a leader line attached to prevent tangling with other lures, kinking of the leader line, or injury from exposed fishhooks. Furthermore, none of the prior art fishing equipment teach or suggest a buoyant fishing lure container to allow time for retrieval if dropped into the water.
In this respect, the fishing lure container according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of storing fishing lures with a leader line attached to prevent tangling with other lures, kinking of the leader line, or injury from exposed fishhooks.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved fishing lure containers which can be used for storing fishing lures with a leader line attached to prevent tangling with other lures, kinking of the leader line, or injury from exposed fishhooks. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
As illustrated by the background art, efforts are continuously being made in an attempt to develop devices for housing small items of fishing tackle. No prior effort, however, provides the benefits attendant with the present invention. Additionally, the prior patents and commercial techniques do not suggest the present inventive combination of component elements arranged and configured as disclosed and claimed herein.
The present invention achieves its intended purposes, objects, and advantages through a new, useful and unobvious combination of method steps and component elements, with the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reasonable cost to manufacture, and by employing only readily available materials.